Device for outgoing mail



Aug. 2, 1966 J. FITZPATRICK DEVICE FOR OUTGOING MAIL Filed Jan. 20, 1964INVENTOR.

BER/WHO d 772 4 TR/CK MM MgZZ/ ATTORA/'YS United States Patent 3,263,352DEVICE FOR OUTGOING MAIL Bernard J. Fitzpatrick, 3211 Garner, KansasCity, Mo. 64124 Filed Jan. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 338,962 4 Claims. (Cl.40-10) This invention relates to improvements in clips, and moreparticularly to weather-protecting devices for receiving and prominentlydisplaying outgoing letter mail for pick-up and the like.

The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide a deviceadapted to receive and protect against inclement weather outgoingletters, vendor notes and the like while permitting prominent displayand easy removal thereof; to provide such a device which may beconveniently suspended on a mailbox or mail slot without interferingwith the depositing of mail; to provide such a device wherein thecontents are securely held while being easily removable therefrom with aminimum of manipulation; to provide such a device which may bealternately hooked over the thin front wall of a mailbox and the like orsecured by means of a suitable fastening member against the surface of adoor, wall or other fastener-receiving surface; to provide such a devicewhich may include permanently printed informational material thereonsuch as advertisements, instructions and the like; and to provide such adevice which is simple, rugged and inexpensive in construction and yetwell suited for its intended purpose.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and examplecertain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a device embodying this inventiondisengaged and empty.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view showing the device hooked onto thefront wall of a common top opening mailbox and containing letter mail.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the device taken onthe line 33, FIG. 2, showing details of the engagement with the mailboxwall.

FIG. 4 is ,a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view through thedevice alternatively mounted.

Referring to the drawings in more detail:

The reference numeral 1 generally indicates a weatherprotecting deviceembodying this invention adapted to receive outgoing letter mail 2 orthe like for prominent display and easy removal. The device 1 broadlyincludes a unitary supporting body 3 and a cover member 4.

The body 3 comprises an elongated downwardly extending strip 5 ofspring-like material such as high strength plastic resins, aluminum orsteel, and has 'a front face 6 and a rear face 7. The strip 5 includes afirst or upper end portion 8 and a second or lower end portion 9. The

-strip 5 is formed into a normally resiliently closed hook portion 10 atthe upper end portion 8 by looping same first rearwardly and thendownwardly and forwardly into a point of contact 11 with the rear face 7and then downwardly and rearwardly of the body 3 forming a rearwardlyflared lip 12. The lip 12 in response to downward pressure on the body 3is adapted to engage, in the illustrated example, in upwardly open edge13 of a relatively thin front wall 14 forming a part of a common topopening mailbox 15. The lip 12, upon experiencing said downwardpressure, urges said hook portion open whereupon the hook portionreceives the wall 14 thereinto with the point of contact 11 resilientlyurged against the inner side 16 of the wall 14. The resilient pressureof the point of contact 11 against the wall inner side 16 by reactioncauses ice the lower end portion 9 of the strip 5 to be urged toward theouter side 17 of the wall 14.

The cover member 4 comprises a unitary unperforated sheet 18 of flexibletransparent material such as a synthetic resin having an upwardlypositioned horizontally extending fold line 19 intermediate the ends 20and 21 thereof forming a folder 22 having front and rear overlappingpages 23 and 24 respectively joined only at the fold line 19. The pages23 and 24 each have a height and width sufficient to receive and coverthe letter mail 2 or the like to be placed therebetween, FIG. 2.

The cover member 4 is secured, in the illustrated example, by a suitableadhesive connection 25, to the strip rear face 7 at the lower endportion 9. The lower end portion 9 is located on the front page 23 at aposition extending below the fold line 19 for resiliently urging thepages 23 and 24 together at a locatioin coinciding with the letter mail2 when the hook portion 10 is engaged with the wall 14.

The letter mail 2 and the like may thus be securely frictionally heldand protected against inclement weather while being prominentlydisplayed by slipping same between the pages 23 and 24 to a positionbehind the lower end portion 9 whereupon the resilient pressure of thestrip 5 urges the front page 23 against the rear page 24 which, in turn,contacts the wall 14. The letter mail and the like may be easily removedwith one hand and without substantial manipulation by merely spreadingthe pages apart, grasping the letter mail and the like, and pullingdownwardly. The lower corners 26 of the rear page 24 extend outwardlybeyond the rounded corners 27 of the front page 23 to aid inconveniently separating the pages to insert the fingers therebetween forgrasping the contents of the cover member 4.

The strip upper end portion 8 has an opening 28 therethrough of a sizeadapted to receive therethrough the shank 29 and head 30 of a screw 31or other suitable fastening member. The hook portion 10 has an opening32 therethrough aligned with the opening 28 but of a size only largeenough to receive the shank 29 therethrough. Thus, if a thin mountingstructure such as the wall 14 is not available, the device 1 may besecured to any suitable fastener receiving wall 33 by engaging the screw31 therein after passing the screw entirely through the opening '28 andthe shank 29 through the opening 32. The device 1 is thereby secured tothe wall 33 in such a position that the strip material in the loopingportion 34 of the hook portion 10 is available to add extra resiliencyto the lower end portion 9. This extra resiliency would not be availableif the screw head 30 engaged the front face 60f the strip 5. The strip 5and the hook portion 10 thereof are so proportioned that the securing ofthe screw 31 in the wall 33 brings the lower end portion 9 against theouter surface 35 of the wall 33 with the desired resilient pressure foreasy insertion of the letter mail 2 and the like between the pages 23and 24 while providing sufficient force for secure retention. It isnoted that the lip 12 may be bent to assume a slightly changed positionfor adjusting the resilient pressure on the lower end portion 9 withrespect to the wall outer surface 35. g

Suitable informational material 36 may be printed on one or both of thepages 23 and 24 and, if desired, may take the form of a salutation oradvertisement (not shown). The protected letter mail 2 and the like, dueto the transparency of the cover member 4, is always on prominentdisplay so that an interested person, for example a mailman or milkvendor, may quickly sight any such inserts of interest to him.

It is to be understood that while one form of this invention has beenillustrated and described, it is not to be -limited to the specific formor arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar assuch limitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for mounting on a wall, said device being adapted to receiveoutgoing letters, vendor notes and the like including: a supporting bodyand a cover member, said body being comprised of spring-like materialhaving a front and rear face and first and second end portions, meansassociated with said first end portion for mounting said body on saidwall, said second end portion being positioned with respect to saidfirst end portion for exerting resilient pressure rearwardly againstsaid wall when said body is mounted thereon, said cover membercomprising a folder having joined front and rear overlapping pages, saidfolder pages having a height and width sufficient to receive and coversaid letters, notes and the like therebetween, said second end portionbeing secured at said rear face to said front page for resilientlyurging said pages together when said rear page is in contact with saidwall, no portion of said supporting body extending between said pageswhereby said letters, notes and the like may be easily slipped betweensaid pages and frictionally retained between said pages and convenientlyremoved therefrom.

'2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said body comprises anelongated downwardly extending strip, said first end portion being theupper end portion of said strip and said second end portion being thelower end portion of said strip.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said folder comprises aunitary unperforated sheet of flexible transparent material folded onlyat an upwardly extending fold line forming said joined front and rearpages.

4. A weather-protecting device adapted to receive outgoing letters,vendor notes and the like including: a unitary supporting body and acover member, said body comprising an elongated downwardly extendingstrip of spring-like material having a front and rear face and an upperand lower end portion, said strip being formed into a normallyresiliently closed hook portion at said upper end portion by loopingfirst rearwardly and then downwardly and then forwardly into a point ofcontact with said rear face and then downwardly and rear-wardly forminga flared lip, said lip being adapted to engage an upwardly open edge ofa relatively thin supporting wall having an inner and outer side forurging said hook portion open whereupon said hook portion receives saidwall thereinto with said point of contact resiliently urged against saidinner side, said lower end portion being resiliently urged toward saidouter side by reaction against said point of contact, said cover membercomprising a folder having front and rear overlapping pages, said folderpages having a height and width sufficient to receive and cover saidletters, notes and the like therebetween, said strip lower end portionbeing adhesively secured at said rear face to said front page forresiliently urging said pages together when said hook portion is engagedwith said wall, no portion of said supporting body extending betweensaid pages whereby said letters, notes and the like may be easilyslipped between said pages and frictionally held between said pages.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 340,803 4/1886McGill 24-84 654,401 7/1900 King 232-33 X 2,508,453 5/1950 Gieseler232-33 2,531,295 11/ 1950 Ritchie -11 2,618,086 11/1952 Komorous 40-1.52,972,826 2/1961 Newell 401.5 3,101,185 8/1963 Gustafson 211 X JOSEPH R.LECLAIR, Praimary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner.

M. L. MINSK, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DEVICE FOR MOUNTING ON A WALL, SAID DEVICE BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE OUTGOING LETTERS, VENDOR NOTES AND THE LIKE INCLUDING: A SUPPORTING BODY AND A COVER MEMBER, SAID BODY BEING COMPRISED OF SPRING-LIKE MATERIAL HAVING A FRONT AND REAR FACE AND FIRST AND SECOND END PORTIONS, MEANS ASSOICATED WITH SAID FIRST END PORTION OF MOUNTING SAID BODY ON SAID WALL, SAID SECOND END PORTION BEING POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST END PORTION FOR EXERTING RESILIENT PRESSURE REARWARDLY AGAINST SAID WALL WHEN SAID BODY IS MOUNTED THEREON, SAID COVER MEMBER COMPRISING A FOLDER HAVING JOINED FRONT AND REAR OVERLAPPING PAGES, SAID FOLDER PAGES HAVING A HEIGHT AND WIDTH SUFFICIENT TO RECEIVED AND COVER SAID LETTERS, NOTES AND THE LIKE THEREBETWEEN, SAID SECOND END PORTION BEING SECURED AT SAID REAR FACE TO SAID FRONT PAGE FOR RESILIENTLY URGING SAID PAGES, TOGETHER WHEN SAID REAR PAGE IS IN CONTACT WITH SAID WALL, NO PORTION OF SAID SUPPORTING BODY EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID PAGES WHEREBY SAID LETTERS, NOTES AND THE LIKE MAY BE EASILY SLIPPED BETWEEN SAID PAGES AND FRICTIONALLY RETAINED BETWEEN SAID PAGES AND CONVENIENTLY REMOVED THEREFROM. 